Well I'm not a hiker but I was visiting a friend in the northern woods and realized I didn't have shoes that weren't even for a short hike in nature were suitable and ordered them. I usually wear 6.5-7; 36 in Dansko and 37 in Ecco and ordered a size 6 based on recommendations/reviews. The shoes are 1-1.5 sizes oversized and are very wide. My feet are a bit wide so I was pleased with the fit - even more so when I realized that a pair of extra insoles were included (I removed the molded insoles, added the extras and replaced the molded insoles over the extras) - which worked well for me even with thick socks. (You can easily remove the supplied insoles and add your own orthotics.) The shoes are incredibly light so great for travel and were warmer than expected. Suddenly some snow fell and I went for a nature walk in 3-4 inches of snow and my feet were not only warm but dry! Traction was impressive on wet muddy ground, wet sand, rough snow and slippery paved surfaces. The shoes are incredibly comfortable and look like a blocky sneaker. I have a fairly high arch and felt very well supported - also appreciate the heavy padding around the collar and tongue. I wore them for almost 8 hours and broke 3 airports on the first wear - no blisters. Very happy with the value of these boots and looking forward to wearing them on snowy sidewalks this winter!